Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-18

claimed, proposecoming west 10 these Ohio gas
towns. Fostoria, Findlay and Bowling Green,
Q thinly settled gas center north Of here, all
expect some new glass works. Findlay has
bad . considerable boom, thoash the streets
are quist now and the real estate craze has
died out. The town has had remarkable
growth In che past year, fts cisisens claiming
that II has by actual cerstis doubled In popu-
lation during that time. They claim that
1900 new houses will bave to be built before
the LIST Of January, 1883, to accommodate
their prospective growth from m.nufactur-
ing alone, and they estimafs that all the way
from 1000 to 1900 houses have gone up DUR
ing the past year. These houses are, how
over, small, and there has been Practically no
business building whatever Real estate
prices have kept up pretty well with the
boom, but there are now enough lots laid out
to accommodate city Of $4,000 people, and
the prices Of many Of these lots are high.
%**
ANDERSON, Ind, July II.
The natural gas field under.ies over 100000
acres Of northwestern Ohio, and more than
ten times as much OF eastern Indians, por.
lands in it. 1t is full Of rich farming land,
which thousands OF miles OF bitches have
largely relieved Of malarious influences, and
it has cultured population which Is made
up OF immigrants from virginia, the Caro-
linas and western Ohio. Both OF these re-
gions Of Ohio and Indiana are cut up with
railroads, and both regions embrace num-
Der Of through railway lines north and south
and east and west, reaching every point OF
the country. Both regions have number OF
good towns Of from 900 to II, 600 people. ard
the cities Of Fort Wayne and Indianapolis a.
within available reach Of the Indiana ec3
territory, and that Of Toledo IS near enous1
70 be supplied BY the Ohio gas delds.
80
The history Of the discovery Of gas at Find
lay has been often told, and this has been SO
advertised that many people look upon this
point as the center Of the territory. 1t ap-
pears, however. to be on the western edge Of
it, and there arc places in Indiana where the
average production per mile Is higher. An
derson, between Muncie and indianapolis,
town Of about 5000 people, has several big
wells, one Of which produces IA, GOO cubic
feet dsy-tbe kaig well at FindIay has but
2,OOO,OOO-whlle the Van buren, gas well IL
Allen county w. produces Ao'oo'"" cuoa'
1eet oaly. e't
me tell you somesnin9 OF TINS ga, anu where
IL seems TO ex'ss IL ~ IN the trenton Lime
Stone rock, Reolos1cei stratum which lie
from eoo teet 70 severai tnousand teet beio"
the surface OF the eartn IN TINS part OF tho
country. piece OF this trenton limestone
lies pefore me- IL was oiown INTO the oil
when gas was reached ut q Dig wen near
mere. IL 10 gray III coior ana Is iuii OF httle
hoies, ana suppose uhder tne microscope IL
would LOOK ike sponge. IL ID IN sucn rock
tnat oouh gas ana on are tound IN TINS sec
uoh. Ane eartn III On'o ana ihoiaha IS oulie
up III an orueriy series' one stratum OF rock
extending IN great waving sheets over
large terricory anu taen announcer on cop
OF TINS untl the surface OF the earth Is
reached. Inc 1roason Limestone Is In somo
places oc0 teet ana more tnicK, ana Just over
itthere u close, thick stratum OF shale rock,
the substance OF which Is 10 COMPACT that NO
sas OF oil can oozo through 1t. The oil so far
found has been in lower parts OF the Trenton
limestone than the gas, ana one theory is tina;
ne gas oelhg hgnter rises to the highest por.
iol,s y. 'ne roc1' ana there occumuiates.
Inc best wells in Indiana are above tho
'e'ea OF tue sea- and DIR. A. J. Phinney. one
u the state biologists OF Indiana, tells me thai
100 feet below seq level is the dead line for
the finding Of gas in Indiana. In Ohio gas
is being found at 800 and 500 feet below sea
two fields rising, cutting them apart. has
something to do with keeping the Ohio gas
out Of the higher Indiana fields.
Above this Trenton limestone there Is a
score or more Of different sheets OF different
kinds Of rock and COAL which spread in
sheets hundreds Of feet in thickness over the
territory. On top Of all IS the glacial drift,
ranging all the way from nothing to 500 feet
thick, consisting Of clay, quicksand and
other material which is more dangerous to
drill through than the solid rock. All these
strata have to be drilled through, and at GER
tain stages pipes must be sunk to keep out the
water. Here In Indiana, from $40 to 400 feet
below the top Of the ground, a slate rock is
found, and below this there is no water until
the level Of the sea is reached. When you
get below the level Of the sea salt water is apt
20 be found, and this Is very dangerous in
drilling gas wells, as it often ruins the weli5
by keeping them flooded. After the rock III
which the gas lies is reached an iron pipe,
from two to four inches in diameter, is sunk
into It, and the well Is packed Packing a
gas well is the forcing pipe Of rubber out
side OF the bottom OF the long iron pipe out Of
which the gas comes and down upon tho
Trenton rocF, SO that no gas shall ooze out Of
the sides OF the pipe, and so that it
shall lit perfectly gas tight into the